Federal Bytes

May 11, 1997

Un-opinionatedThe Defense Information Systems Agency issued a security bulletin to all Defense Department computer users last month notifying them that - hold onto your seats because this is shocking - they are not supposed to use their computers for activities other than government business. It goes on to tell them that their computers are subject to government "hacker attacks" to ensure that the computers are being used responsibly.

The kicker is a disclaimer at the end that "the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government." The Air Force employee who showed us the memo could hardly believe his eyes. "If not the U.S. government what government do they represent?" he asked. "Talk about lack of accountability in the government."

Of course we're pretty sure this employee's opinions do not state or reflect those of the United States government.

Information "fore!" the warfighter

The Defense Department's Software Technology Conference took on a new dimension this year with the addition however unlikely of a sporting event.

STC is the annual get-together in Salt Lake City for DOD officials to talk about Ada metrics object technology and other topics understood by a small but enthusiastic segment of the DOD population. This year though conference planners added a Service-Against-Service Golf Tournament in which conference attendees remove their pocket protectors grab their clubs and head to the greens with the honor of their service at stake.

STC keynote speaker Norman Augustine chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corp. may have put a damper on the proceedings when he questioned the wisdom of conference attendees returning from a conference with a trophy in hand. "It shows a lack of judgment or a strong sense of job security " he noted.

Unemployed and Un-embargoed

Oops! The nation's weekly unemployment information was accidentally posted two days early via the Information Technology Support Center Web site. Weekly job rates for the week ending April 19 - which should have been posted May 2 - were leaked on April 29. A financial analyst discovered the leak but the Labor Department has not discovered how the information ended up being posted early. The support center is a joint venture sponsored by the Labor Department the University of Maryland the Maryland Department of Labor and Lockheed Martin Corp.

The GAO director of information technology issues is leaving government after 16 years. On his way out the door, Dave Powner details how far govtech has come in the past two decades and flags the most critical issues he sees facing federal IT leaders.